Abstract
This thesis explores how non-binary people perceive and manage the threat of discrimination during their daily experiences. Participants (n=9) were interviewed with opened-ended questions about their gender presentation, experiences of discrimination, and use of tactics to navigate perceived discrimination in their communities. The difference of geographic location had the biggest impact on how participants responded to the set of interview questions. Non-binary people from rural areas perceived people to discriminate against them and actively engaged in avoidance tactics including keeping their gender identities closeted and engaging in presentation shifts. In sharp contrast, participants from urban or suburban areas used tactics to affirm their gender presentation. They were less likely to perceive discrimination by others which contributed to presenting their gender as non-binary more openly and without fear of discrimination. When discrimination such as misgendering did occur, these urban participants were more likely to use affirmative tactics to assert their gender identities or lean on support systems to validate their gender performance.
Advisor
Aaron Hoy
Committee Member
Dennis Waskul
Committee Member
Laura Harrison
Date of Degree
2022
Language
english
Document Type
Thesis
Degree
Master of Arts (MA)
Program of Study
Sociology/College Teaching Emphasis
College
Humanities and Social Sciences
Recommended Citation
Ridler, M. (2022). On doing non-binary gender: An examination of perceived discrimination and geographic location. [Master’s thesis, Minnesota State University, Mankato]. Cornerstone: A Collection of Scholarly and Creative Works for Minnesota State University, Mankato. https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/etds/1279/
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